Colts playoff picture: Indianapolis' updated chances to make 2024 NFL playoffs after Week 16 win vs. Titans

Teddy Ricketson

•
Colts playoff picture: Indianapolis' updated chances to make 2024 NFL playoffs after Week 16 win vs. Titans image

There are just three weeks left in the 2024 NFL season, which doesn't leave much time for teams to make their playoff pushes.

Take the Colts: The AFC South title has been locked up by the Texans, so Indianapolis' only hope to make the playoff field is as a wild-card team.

MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 16 

Seven teams will make the AFC playoffs, with the top four seeds reserved for the four division winners. Three wild-card teams will round out the field. With the Colts' division locked down, Indianapolis is clinging to a very slim playoff odds, as the team could mathematically qualify for the No. 7 seed.

Indianapolis smacked the Titans early. Running back Jonathan Taylor had a career day, rushing for over 100 yards in the first quarter. He finished with 23 carries for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Tennessee battled back and made it a one-score game late, but Indianapolis' defense held strong and secured the win with a game-ending interception. 

Here is a look at the Colts' updated playoff picture after a Week 16 win over the Titans.   

NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule

Colts playoff picture

Indianapolis came out if its Week 14 bye week looking for a win to bolster its postseason chances. But the Colts lost, 31-13, to the Broncos.

Not only did the loss move Indy to 6-8 on the season, but it also gave Denver the head-to-head advantage in the playoff race. If the Colts and Broncos finish with the same record and just one playoff spot left, that spot would go to Denver. 

The good news for Indy is that they won. The bad news is that the Bengals and Dolphins also won behind them.

PositionTeamRecord
1.Chiefs14-1
2.Bills12-3
3.Steelers10-5
4.Texans9-6
5.Ravens10-5
6.Chargers9-6
7.Broncos9-6
8.Colts7-8
9.Dolphins7-8
10.Bengals7-8

Indianapolis holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins. The Colts also currently have the tiebreaker over the Bengals due to a better winning percentage in conference games.

Even with three wins to end the season, the Colts still need help from the Chargers and Broncos to sneak into the final AFC playoff spot. Indianapolis needs to win out, while Denver or Los Angeles need to lose out and win tiebreaker battles against those teams.

The Colts avoided playoff elimination by their Week 16 win.

MORE NFL DRAFT NEWS:

Colts remaining schedule

WeekOpponent
17at Giants
18vs. Jaguars

The Colts arguably have the easiest final two games in the league. The Giants and Jaguars have a combined 5-24 record. But Indianapolis doesn't control its own destiny.

Colts updated playoff chances

Heading into Week 16, ESPN's Football Power Index had the Colts with just a 1.6% chance of making the playoffs. This metric not only takes into account projected results for Indianapolis' games, but also the projected results for every team in the league. For reference, the Chargers stood at 98.0%, the Broncos at 85.8%, the Bengals at 10.9% and Dolphins at 3.7%. The Colts were expected to beat the Titans, thus their playoff chances haven't improved, despite the divisional win.

MORE NFL WEEK 16: 

Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson Photo

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.